Olly Murs deletes sign song video after ‘learning the difference’ between Makaton and BSL

Pop star Olly Murs has taken down a clip of him signing his latest single in Makaton for his “fans in the deaf community”, admitting that he had “incorrectly labelled the video” as being in British Sign Language.

The singer, who released “Die of A Broken Heart” on Friday, said in the video’s caption that he wanted to sign the song in “BSL SSE” and that he was taught how to do so by hearing influencer Isabella Signs.

However, viewers went on to point out that the signs were in Makaton – a language programme for people with learning and communication difficulties – and not BSL, the language used by the majority of those in the UK Deaf community.

The British Deaf Association described the video as “unacceptable”, while Deaf sign song performer Fletch@ has said she can help Murs make his songs “accessible to the deaf community” if he was “looking for any future support with BSL SignSong”.

Elsewhere, Deaf content creators Hermon and Heroda – known on Instagram as @Being__Her – released a video translating the song into BSL, with consultancy from Nadia Nadarajah.

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A post shared by Deaf Twins • Hermon & Heroda © (@being__her)

Isabella Signs, real name Isabella Evans, issued an apology on Wednesday night and said that while she “thought I had done enough research” to teach Murs to sign in BSL, her “resources were clearly unreliable”.

In a short thread posted to Twitter on Thursday, Murs added: “Over the last few days I have learned something very important – the difference between Makaton and British Sign Language.

Over the last few days I have learned something very important the difference between Makaton and British Sign Language. I really wanted to learn to sign my song, but unfortunately was unaware I was taught Makaton and incorrectly labelled the video as BSL…

— Olly Murs (@ollymurs) October 13, 2022

“I really wanted to learn to sign my song, but unfortunately was unaware I was taught Makaton and incorrectly labelled the video as BSL.

“I apologise and I’m sorry to anyone that was offended it genuinely came from a good place. Much love, Olly xx.”

Murs had previously responded to one individual about the video on Saturday, tweeting that he was “sorry if it wasn’t clear” and that “I did try my best”.

Photo: @ollymurs/Instagram.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.